The Essence of Spiritual Life Is to Always Remember Kṛṣṇa
The perfection of human life is to always remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that this is not just a theoretical ideal but the practical goal of all spiritual discipline. Citing the Padma Purāṇa, he teaches that all regulative principles are meant to serve two basic rules: smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇuḥ vismartavyo na jātucit—one should always remember Kṛṣṇa and never forget Him. When a devotee achieves this state, they become kṛṣṇa-mayī, fully absorbed in the Lord, and are protected from all material dangers.
The Sum and Substance of Regulation
Why do devotees follow so many rules? Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that every regulation—from cleanliness to diet—is ultimately meant to facilitate the remembrance of God. If one strictly follows the process but fails to remember Kṛṣṇa, the effort is incomplete. The essence of the scriptures is this unbroken memory of the Lord.
- According to the Padma Purana, the sum and substance of all the regulative principles of the scripture is that Lord Visnu, or Krsna, should always be remembered and should never be forgotten.
- Lord Visnu is always to be remembered; indeed, He is not to be forgotten for even a moment. He is the sum and substance of all regulative principles.
- One should always remember that the holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself are always identical.
Protection from Material Existence
The material world is full of anxieties and dangers, particularly the danger of forgetting one's spiritual identity. Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that at any moment, māyā can victimize a forgetful soul. However, simply by always remembering Kṛṣṇa within the heart, one becomes immune to bad association and material contamination. This remembrance is the weapon to conquer the cycle of birth and death (punar-janma-jayāya).
- A Vaisnava should behave in such a way as to never associate with nondevotees or materialists. One can avoid such association simply by always remembering Krsna within his heart.
- This Krsna consciousness movement is also meant for the same purpose, punar-janma-jayaya, for conquering over repetition of birth and death. You should always remember this. A little mistake will spoil the whole scheme, little mistake.
- If one remembers Visnu always, even though one is disturbed by many bad elements, one can be protected without a doubt.
- We must know what is God. We must remember always God. We must become a devotee of God. In that way we can save ourself from the anxiety.
The Method: Chanting and Hearing
How does one attain this state of constant remembrance? Śrīla Prabhupāda prescribes the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra as the most effective means. He insists on the minimum of sixteen rounds to train the mind. Along with chanting, hearing about the Lord's activities (śravaṇam) naturally leads to remembrance (smaraṇam).
- Always remembering Krsna. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Then it may be possible that at the time of death you remember Krsna.
- Anyone who will stop chanting, he will be a victim of maya. Always remember it. Therefore we insist, "Please do not forget to chant at least sixteen rounds." That is minimum. The maximum is 300,000.
- The more one chants the names of Krsna, the more he becomes attached. Thus service by sravanam and kirtanam, hearing and chanting about Krsna, is the beginning. The next process is smaranam - always remembering Krsna.
Remembering Our True Identity
A crucial aspect of smaraṇam is remembering who we are. Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently reminds us that we are not the body but eternal servants of Kṛṣṇa. We must remember that we are part and parcel of God and that our desires should be aligned with His. Forgetting this relationship is the cause of all suffering.
- Our real identity is that we are all servants of Krsna. Always remember this philosophy and all these external affairs will not trouble you.
- There are six symptoms of surrender: (1) One should perform only those actions favorable for devotional service to Krsna. (2) One should give up everything unfavorable for discharging devotional service. (3) One should firmly believe that Krsna will protect one in all circumstances and that no one is a better protector than Krsna. This conviction should be distinct from the monistic philosophy that one is as good as Krsna. Rather, one should always think that Krsna, or God, is great and that one is always protected by Him. (4) One should have the conviction that Krsna is one's maintainer, and one should not take shelter of any demigod for maintenance. (5) One should always remember that one's activities and desires are not independent. In other words, the devotee should feel completely dependent on Krsna, and thus he should act and think as Krsna desires. (6) One should always think himself the poorest of the poor and feel totally dependent on the mercy of Krsna.
- We should always remember, as it is stated in Bhagavad-gita, that both the gross and subtle material bodies are dresses.
- Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura comments that one should always remember that he is eternally a servant of Krsna.
Conclusion
To be a devotee means to mold one's consciousness in such a way that Kṛṣṇa is never lost from view. Śrīla Prabhupāda assures us that if we can attain this benediction of always remembering the lotus feet of the Lord, we possess an asset greater than any material wealth. As King Kulaśekhara prayed, let our only desire be to always remember and never forget the Lord in every birth.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Always Remember. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.